March 30 (Reuters) – Defending champion Phil Mickelson
rocketed into a three-way tie for the lead at the Houston Open
in Humble, Texas on Friday when the rain-delayed first round was
finally completed.
The American left-hander, one under with 15 holes remaining
when play was suspended on Thursday after thunderstorms swept
across Redstone Golf Club, carded a seven-under-par 65 to join
Carl Pettersson and Angel Cabrera at the top.
Swede Pettersson and Argentina’s Cabrera had both completed
their rounds in calm, overcast conditions on Thursday before
play was halted for the day.
“I played really well,” Mickelson told reporters after
mixing eight birdies with a lone bogey. “There was no wind. The
conditions were ideal. The greens were immaculate.
“If you could get it on the surface, you felt like you could
make some putts,” added the four-times major winner, who
totalled only 22 putts in the opening round.
Mickelson’s only blemish came at the par-five 13th where his
ball picked up mud on the rain-softened fairway.
“There’s not much you can do about stuff like that,” said
Mickelson, who won last year’s event by three strokes after
closing with a sizzling seven-under-par 65.
“Every shot in the fairway had a bunch of mud on it. It was
tough maneuvering around there.”
More than an inch of rain saturated the course on Thursday
and tournament organizers allowed the players to lift, clean and
replace their balls in the second round.
Americans Ricky Barnes, Jeff Maggert and John Huh, plus
Britain’s Greg Owen, opened with 66s while last year’s PGA
Championship winner Keegan Bradley and PGA Tour veteran Fred
Couples were among a group of seven players knotted on 67.
British world number three Lee Westwood and fifth-ranked
American Steve Stricker carded 68s and South African Charl
Schwartzel, who will defend his Masters title at Augusta
National next week, returned a 69.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by
Julian Linden)
